August 7, 2008

A NEWPORT-BASED engineering company has signed two contracts in South Africa worth pounds 1.5m.

IAC, one of the United Kingdom's leading designers, manufacturers and installers of variable speed drive systems, opened an office in South Africa two years ago to penetrate the market and maximise business opportunities.

Managing director Peter Lewis said that the investment had paid off as two contracts had been secured from Hulamin for the refurbishment of aluminium mills at Hulamin's plant in Pieter maritzburg.

Hulamin is an independent semi-fabricator of aluminium products that develops, manufactures and supplies a wide range of high quality aluminium products into global and domestic markets.

IAC was supported by International Business Wales - the Welsh Assembly Government's overseas trade and investment arm - on a number of trade missions to South Africawhen it investigated the potential market for its systems.

Mr Lewis said: "We believe the market for systems integration in South Africa is as big as in the UK and are confident that our systems are the best available and our expertise and experience means we can be extremely competitive."

IAC, which operates across a range of different industry sectors from metals to textiles, is now investigating the possibility of establishing a manufacturing facility in South Africa through acquisition.

Ieuan Wyn Jones, minister for the economy & transport, said: "IAC is a good example of a company that is successfully trading internationally and winning substantial new contracts."

This is the second major deal IAC has secured for South Africa as it recently signed two contracts with a UK company to supply control systems for massive machinery used in Richards Bay Coal Terminal in South Africa.

This is the largest single export coal terminal in the world and has an advanced 24-hour operation exporting more than 68 million tons of coal a year to buyers around the world

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